The Thorpeness Coastal Futures Group is an independent body established to seek, promote and communicate a suitable shoreline management strategy for the village of Thorpeness. It draws its members from the local community, and from the wider public, academic, professional, governmental and non-governmental organisations who want to see a successful and appropriate future for the village.

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NEWS

Summer 2019 update

Coastal Erosion, flooding and the future of Thorpeness

TCFG has been working with East Suffolk Council’s Coastal Partnership East on a plan for the management of our coastline towards 2100. CPE has launched a public consultation from 31st July to 30th September to hear views from the community on the potential options report.

The strength of local opinion will be key to decisions about managing erosion, flood risk and the future of the village and its environment. Drop in sessions were held at Thorpeness on 9th and 10th August to meet the CPE team and discuss the proposals.

** Please remember to use the feedback form and contact arrangements by 30th September to make sure your views are considered in the next version of the plan**

Sizewell C

Following the TCFG response to Stage 2 consultation in 2017 technical liaison arrangements were set up with EDF Energy in 2018 prior to our response to Stages 3 and 4 during 2019. The long jetty option for maritime transport has been discontinued. A modular beach landing facility will be reassembled for occasional shipment of large components during operation of the station. Road-led and Rail-led options are being evaluated for transportation during construction.

The coastal process potentially affecting Thorpeness could be disruption of longshore sediment transport if sea level rise causes the active beach seaward of the Sizewell stations to be lost. EDF modelling continues and TCFG – EDF liaison will be maintained as results become available.

East Anglia ONE, North & East Anglia TWO windfarms

TCFG responded to Scottish Power Renewables Stage 4 consultation in March 2019 and liaison continues regarding coastal arrangements for the landing of export cables. If the Thorpeness landing option is adopted TCFG proposes that all surface activity must be confined to the yellow hatched area marked Indicative Transition Bay Area of Search on diagram EA1N-DEV-DRG-IBR-000469. We have asked for the Horizontal Directional Drilling horizontal and vertical profiles as these are developed.

TCFG notes that National Grid Ventures indicates that there is ongoing dialogue between SPR, EDF, NGET, ESC, SCC & BEIS (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) but there does not appear to be evidence of a plan for an integrated strategy to utilise available grid transmission capacity at Sizewell. Land take has to be sufficient to accommodate the electrical compensation / filtering / conversion facilities needed for a grid connection to be made.